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Ready For Takeoff - Turn Your Aviation Passion Into A Career

The Ready For Takeoff podcast will help you transform your aviation passion into an aviation career. Every week we bring you instruction and interviews with top aviators in their field who reveal their flight path to an exciting career in the skies.
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Ready For Takeoff - Turn Your Aviation Passion Into A Career
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Now displaying: June, 2020
Jun 29, 2020

Justin A. Schlechter is an aviation professional focused on leadership, safety, efficiency, and airmanship. He is an A319/320/321 Captain for Delta Air Lines, the Top US Airline of 2017, as recognized by The Wall Street Journal. Justin has a unique blend of airline and general aviation experience and has served in various positions with both growing aviation educational institutions as well as leading global airlines. He is an expert in airline operations, best safety practices, and crew resource management techniques.

Prior to Delta Air Lines, Justin served as a Relief Commander and First Officer with Cathay Pacific Airways, flying B747-400 and B747-8F aircraft worldwide. During this time, Justin represented his peers as a Member of the General Counsel of the Hong Kong Aircrew Officer’s Association. In this role, Justin was responsible for representing the interests of his fellow airmen and was directly involved in the collection, analysis, and presentation of industry wide pilot compensation data for use in negotiations with upper level management.

Justin is passionate about aviation education, and has been an active Flight Instructor for over seventeen years. He has taught aviation coursework as an Adjunct Professor of Aeronautics at Jacksonville University, where he was also a Flight Instructor and Standards Pilot. In addition, he was responsible for the development and implementation of the first Safety Management System put into use in the Aviation Department at Farmingdale State College in New York. Since 2003, Justin has served as a volunteer educational consultant with Barry Tech and the Nassau County Board of Cooperative Educational Services Aeronautics Program. Through this role Justin serves as a mentor to high school students pursuing careers in aviation as well as providing lifelong guidance and mentorship for graduates of the program as well.

Justin holds a BS in Aviation Operations and Management from Jacksonville University.

Jun 25, 2020

Will the future of travel be new airline seats spaced out with hygienic barriers, or saddle-style standing seats to cram more passengers on a flight?

Cleaning and social distancing have turned from health necessity to lifestyle trends, and companies are seizing the moment – but not the logic. The latest is conceptual passenger seats for airlines in a post-COVID world. The proposals are different from any economy class offering today.

Janus seat concept from Aviointeriors AVIOINTERIORS

The Janus (above) wants to introduce quasi-isolation by proposing every middle seat face backwards with shields installed between seats. The Glassafe seat (below) proposes installing a transparent plastic hood around each economy seat to limit germ flow.

Glassafe proposal from Aviointeriors AVIOINTERIORS

Don’t expect either seat to be on a plane. They appeal to current impulses but not long-term needs.

These attention-getting concepts are the norm for their designer, Aviointeriors. It’s the same company that proposed the below “SkyRider” saddle-style standing seats, which garnered global attention but not a single sale. There are doubts if regulators will even permit them on an aircraft.

As a smaller vendor, publicity raises awareness for Aviointeriors’ more ordinary seats: slim padding, little legroom, and no head rest or TV screen.

 

Airlines like Air Niugini and defunct Transaero use seats from Aviointeriors while Alaska Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and others select seats from Recaro, which also makes car seats and baby strollers.

The aviation industry jokes that the German manufacturer is so in demand that airlines don’t choose Recaro – Recaro chooses them. Safran is another common supplier.

They skip whimsical concepts for practical developments: lighter but stronger metal alloys, new cushion materials, and better lighting.

Less radical concepts have failed to catch on. Air New Zealand’s “Skycouch” only found one other buyer, China Airlines, which later discontinued it. Delta Air Lines DAL was going to install the “Cozy Suite” on dozens of 767s and 777s, but cancelled the idea. It put the prototype seats up for sale last year.

Even if these new concepts were to be on an aircraft, it surely wouldn’t be before 2022. Aircraft seats have to undergo rigours strength and flammability testing to ensure they can protect passengers in a crash and withstand fire. That testing could raise problems with the seat concepts.

New aircraft seats have to withstand a 16g dynamic force. A roller coaster has forces about 4g and a Formula One car 6g. The plastic barriers have to be strong enough to remain intact, but not so hard they could cause injury if a passenger’s head suddenly crashes into it.

The barriers also add what airlines and seat manufactures always want to reduce: weight. Even a lightweight barrier adds costs when multiplied across hundreds of seats on hundreds of planes.

The barriers could impede an emergency evacuation. Regulators require passengers be able to get out of an aircraft in under 90 seconds in darkness.

There are practical problems. Will oxygen masks be harder to reach in an emergency?

Germs can move over and under barriers. Face masks are arguably more effective.

Aircraft already have better circulation than is commonly thought. Airflow on an aircraft is vertical, reducing the number of people it comes into contact with, unlike a typical air conditioner that blows air horizontally across many people, picking up and moving their germs along the way.

Airlines have a poor track record cleaning the small tray table. Will they sufficiently and regularly clean all of the new surface area the barrier introduces?

The reversed middle seat is supposed to create privacy, but passengers will face each other and there will surely be awkward eye contact, a complaint of British Airways’ former “ying-yang” business class layout.

 

Jun 22, 2020

From Wikipedia:

A native of The Bronx, New York, Tengesdal is a graduate from the University of New Haven with a Science Degree in electrical engineering. She was one of three women to make it through the program. After Officer Candidate School commissioning, she began a career as a Naval Aviator by flying the SH-60B Seahawk Helicopter at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. During that time, she deployed on two long cruises and multiple short cruises to the Middle East, South America and the Caribbean. After a three-year sea tour in helicopters, Colonel Tengesdal went on to become a T-34C and T-6A Instructor Pilot. After completing T-6A Instructor Training, she became one of four Navy T-6A Instructors to train Navy and Air Force students at Joint Student Undergraduate Pilot Training (JSUPT) at Moody Air Force Base, GA. Her former Navy flight instructor, Commander Ron Robinson, has said that Merryl David (maiden name) “was one of my best flight students, and it doesn’t surprise me that she’s doing so well.”

Once she completed her Navy obligation, she continued her military career by transferring over to the Air Force to fly the Lockheed U-2S Dragon Lady at Beale Air Force Base in Northern California. Tengesdal was deployed to multiple locations in support of Operations OLIVE HARVEST, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM and HORN OF AFRICA. While stationed at Beale AFB the first time, she held the positions of 9th Reconnaissance Wing (9th RW) Chief of Flight Safety and 9th Physiological Support Squadron Director of Operations. After her tour at Beale AFB, Tengesdal continued her career by becoming the Detachment Commander of Detachment 2 WR/ALC Palmdale, California where she was in charge of flight test and Program Depot Maintenance for the U-2S aircraft. Thereafter, Tengesdal worked at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) J8 staff. As Chief of Studies and Assessments Branch, she was responsible for developing the Command’s position on capability gap assessment(s), development and integration for senior-level documents submitted to the Joint Staff. Colonel Tengesdal returned to Beale and held the positions of Deputy Operations Group Commander and Inspector General, 9th RW, Beale AFB, CA. Tengesdal’s final duty was as the Director of Inspections for The Inspector General (TIG) of the Air Force, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon, Washington DC. The Inspections Directorate develops, revises, coordinates, and implements Air Force inspection policy, and provides oversight and reporting of inspection programs to TIG, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Secretary of the Air Force on the readiness, economy, efficiency, compliance and state of discipline of the Air Force. Tengesdal is also the Executive Secretary of the Air Force Inspection System Council.

In 2017, Tengesdal retired from Air Force as a Colonel.

 
Jun 18, 2020

On the Ready For Takeoff Podcast web page for free videos, we are offering a great selection of FAA-produced videos, which normally sell for $24.95. These videos are available for free streaming, not just for the duration of the COVID pandemic, but FOREVER!

  • Medical Facts for Pilots
  • Aviation Physiology, Part I
  • Aviation Physiology, Part II
  • Aviation Physiology, Part III
  • Aviation Threats, Part I
  • Aviation Threats, Part II
Jun 15, 2020

Steve planned to be a professional baseball officer, but met a navy recruiter and was recruited to be an anti-submarine officer on the P-3 aircraft.

After four years as an enlisted crew member, he was commissioned and attended training in Pensacola, flying EA-6Bs.

In 2012, Steve was the Chief of Staff of a Naval Strike Group, with 33 years in the navy, and then became a teacher after his retirement. He also remained as a navy instructor in graduate school.

He also had two tours of duty in the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) environment, working alongside air force personnel.

Steve now serves as an electronic warfare Subject Matter Expert (SME) at Nellis Air Force Base.

Jun 11, 2020

This week we continue with our offer of FREE aviation videos. Here you will find videos that will help you prepare for a career in aviation or help you prepare for your airline checkride. These normally sell for $49.95 and, once again, you can stream these for free for the duration of the pandemic.

The subjects are

  • How to Get an Airline Job
  • Airline Interview Power
  • Successful Simulator Training
  • Supercharge Your Scan
  • Turbojet Systems Made Easy
  • B737-300 Checkride Maneuvers
  • B727 Practice Oral
  • B727 Checkride Maneuvers

On to another subject: the topic of RACE, especially as it applies to African-Americans, is occupying the news. According to OBAP, African-Americans are 13 percent of the American population but only account for 3 percent of professional pilots.

Of the approximately 200 aviation professionals interviewed on the Ready For Takeoff Podcast, 18 of my guests have been African-American. That comes out to 9 percent. It’s less than 13 percent, but a LOT more than 3 percent, and I feel really blessed to have connected with these professionals. Here’s the list of the episodes, which include 2 Tuskegee Airmen.

374 Christina Thumper Hopper

366 Walter Watson

298 Keith Reeves

292 Gregory Poole

267 Beth Powell

266 Jason Harris

259 LeRoy Homer Foundation

241 Frank Macon

240 Willie Daniels

190 George Hardy

139 Otis Hooper

109 Todd Curtis

099 Lawrence Chambers

073 Brian Settles

068.5 Karl Minter

045 Dick Toliver

017 Donnie Cochran

015 Brenda Robinson

These are some amazing people, who in many cases overcame extreme prejudice and hardship. Do me, and yourself, a favor and pick one or two of these episodes to listen to this week.

If you want to reach out to any of them, you can send an email to george@readyfortakeoffpodcast.com and I’ll forward it for you.

Here’s a link to what should be an excellent town hall at 1500 Eastern Standard Time today.

 


 
Jun 8, 2020

Having the desire to fly fighter jets since seeing the movie “Top Gun,” Chandra Beckman became part of the elite group of women who have flown United States Air Force fighter jets. 

Chandra started her AF career in ROTC in 1993, the same year the Department of Defense lifted the ban on women flying combat missions, which opened the door for women to fly fighter jets. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from Arizona State University in 1998. After a delay due to an unexpected pregnancy, she attended USAF Pilot Training where she earned an assignment to fly the F-15C Eagle, and was the first woman to fly that aircraft as a mother. During her time flying the F-15C, Chandra supported the defense of the homeland through Operation NOBLE EAGLE and flew combat missions during the opening weeks of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. 

Following three years flying the F-15C, she was one of only 3 women assigned to fly the first stealth fighter aircraft, the F-117A Nighthawk. During her time flying that aircraft, she deployed in support of security operations to the Korean peninsula, coordinated with media groups to showcase the final F-117 RED FLAG, and mentored school children and Airmen of all ranks.

Taking a break from flying, Chandra was stationed in the Republic of Korea where she was assigned to the Combined Air Operations Center. While there she developed and implemented the first Operations Center training program for new personnel and worked jobs in both offensive and defensive combat training roles. Chandra then went on to be an Instructor Pilot at the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program. However, health challenges that had begun while she was stationed in the Republic of Korea finally grounded her from flying. 

From 2009-2017, she earned a Master’s Degree in Aeronautical Science and held multiple jobs which included: Director of Staff for the 82 Training Wing, an organization with a permanent staff of over 3,000 people worldwide serving a student population of almost 80,000 annually; and Director of Operations for RED FLAG, the organization responsible for establishing the framework to train US and coalition nation members in the world’s most realistic air combat scenarios.

Retired from active duty, Chandra enjoys having the freedom to travel the world with her husband and be available for her children whenever and wherever they need her to be. She is a member of the Veteran Advisory Team for the National Foundation for Integrative Medicine and looks forward to helping others in that capacity.

Jun 4, 2020

After finishing my second combat tour in Vietnam, I left the service to become an airline pilot.  By 1979, I was a Systems Instructor for United Airlines with an underground following for my teaching style. With the introduction of the home VCR and video camera, one of my students approached me with the idea of creating Systems Reviews for pilots to help them through ground school — a first of its kind. 

This was the genesis of the Aviation Training Video Industry. What started as a small ad in the back of Air Line Pilot Magazine grew into a million dollar company within the span of a few years. The courses ranged from Systems Reviews, to Test Preparation, to How to Get an Airline Job — all created on the latest video technology from 1979 to 1983.

The Nolly Productions Systems Review Courses are now available free of charge during this global pandemic. These courses normally retail for $79.95, but I am offering them for FREE streaming for the duration of this pandemic. You can stream aircraft systems courses for:

  • B727
  • B737-300
  • B757/767
  • Lear 35/C-21
  • B777
Jun 1, 2020

Erik Lindbergh, a commercial pilot and certified flight instructor, is the grandson of Charles and Anne Lindbergh and son of Jon Lindbergh and Barbara Robbins. As 2002 marks the 75th anniversary of his grandfather’s Spirit of St. Louis transatlantic flight, Erik Lindbergh will recreate this 1927 milestone, illustrating the human spirit’s ability to dream, innovate and achieve one’s goals against many odds.

 

Though he leads an active lifestyle, Erik also suffers from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a progressive autoimmune disease marked by pain, tenderness, and inflammation of the joints, that nearly caused him to give up his passion for aviation when he was diagnosed at the young age of 21. RA crippled Erik for 15 years and only recently has he been active again. During his worst years with RA, Erik was forced to use a cane due to the severe pain that made it almost impossible for him to walk. Today, with the help of a breakthrough biotech drug, Enbrel, Erik has his life back and is in pursuit of his dreams. Using his experience with RA, he now serves as a spokesperson for the Arthritis Foundation, working to educate others about RA.

 

A graduate of Emery Aviation College where he received his Aeronautical Science degree, Erik serves as a Trustee and Vice President of the X PRIZE Foundation, a non-profit organization that stimulates the creation of a new generation of launch vehicles designed to carry passengers into space. The X PRIZE is fashioned after the Orteig Prize, the aviation incentive prize won by Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight in 1927, which created the now $250 billion aviation industry.

 

Erik is also a Director of the Lindbergh Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering his grandparents belief in creating a balance between technological advancement and environmental preservation. The Foundation promotes gives grants, does educational programs and gives the Lindbergh award each year for work dedicated to “Balance” concept.

Aside from aviation, Erik is an artist and owner of Lindbergh Woodworks, which creates unique furniture and wood sculptures. He is known for his sculptures of rustic planets, spacecraft and aircraft within the community of astronomy and aviation.

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